by Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY Sports

by Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY Sports

WASHINGTON â?? A congressman criticized the NFL players' union for trying to "back out" on a deal to test its members for human growth hormone -- and setting a bad example for kids. A scientist said the union's doubts about the test's accuracy have no merit.

Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, also citing the kids, said "let's go" with testing.

But the NFL Players Association wasn't budging. It said there will be no such tests for players until its questions are answered.

In the 2011 collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, the two sides agreed to make arrangements for HGH testing, hopefully by the start of the 2011 regular season.

They remained at impasse Wednesday as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing titled: "HGH Testing in the NFL: Is the Science Ready?"

After hearing testimony that the science was ready, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) put the onus on the union.

"They say they need more time to study this issue," said Cummings, ranking minority member of the committee.

"To me, it seems obvious the players' association is simply running out the clock. They are now trying to back out of the contract. They (the union) have a contract, and they should honor it because when they refuse to do so, that sends exactly the wrong message to the kids we have sworn to protect. And that is when it becomes our business."

No representatives of the NFL or the NFLPA were called to testify at the hearing, which focused on the current science and accuracy of HGH testing. But both sides had observers in the room at the Rayburn House Office Building.

"I don't think we're going to put an artificial timeline or deadline on when testing will take place," George Atallah, the NFLPA's assistant executive director, external affairs, said after the hearing.

"We have an agreement in the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) that says we're going to move forward with testing as soon as protocols are agreed to by both sides.''

Larry Bowers, chief science officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, told the committee the HGH test used in international sports is reliable.

"The chances of an athlete who has not used synthetic growth hormone testing positive are comparable to the chance of that same athlete being struck by lightning during his or her lifetime," Bowers said.

Bowers insisted concerns raised by the NFLPA already have been answered.

"Does the current test take the size of the athlete into account? Yes, and it was determined that the size of an individual has no relation to the ratio of human growth hormone measured by the test," Bowers said.

"Does the test accurately take into account growth hormone differences that may be attributed to an athlete's race or ethnicity? Yes.

"Does the test take into consideration the effects of strenuous exercise on growth hormone levels and ratio? Yes, and to the extent growth hormone levels are affected by exercise, it has been determined that the effect is minor and virtually undetectable within 30 minutes after the conclusion of physical activity."

Despite that testimony, Atallah said the NFLPA still wants a "population study" of NFL players to ease its concerns about whether matters such as the size, ethnicity and exertion would jeopardize the accuracy of the tests.

"We are waiting on the NFL to provide us with a doctor that they believe would help us oversee the study. Obviously, the population study is key," Atallah said. "We had an agreement a long time ago to proceed with a population study that would help us answer the questions about the underlying science of the test.''

Adolpho Birch, NFL senior vice president of law and labor policy -- the NFL "drug czar" -- said the league has not agreed to proceed directly to a population study.

"We have said that we could try to agree upon an expert who would review the literature, determine whether or not a population study was necessary, and if so to do it," Birch said. "We agreed to that back in February. We've put up probably five proposals in that respect.''

He smiled at Atallah's suggestion the union was just waiting for the NFL to choose a doctor to oversee the study.

"If we were just choosing a doctor, I guess we wouldn't be just choosing a doctor for the last nearly a year now," Birch said. "At the end of the day, this idea (of a population study) is doing nothing but delaying the implementation of testing. It is not necessary as everyone has heard."

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the committee, said during the hearing that at one point the committee had an agreement with both sides that blood samples from current players would be taken and stored for scrutiny later, when testing finally was implemented. Issa said the union later turned thumbs down on that.

Atallah said there was no such agreement.

"There were two different recollections of what took place at that meeting. â?¦ Our recollection is that we had agreed to move forward as soon as we had movement on a population study with the league, and until then blood wasn't going to be drawn,'' Atallah said.

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), who is a physician, asked how athletes are acquiring HGH and whether doctors are being punished for improperly prescribing its use by athletes. It can be legally prescribed for such conditions as hormonal deficiency that causes short stature in children and muscle-wasting associated with HIV/AIDS.

"Why is this so readily accessible, and who are the doctors who are providing this for the wrong reasons?" DesJaralais said.

One witness said HGH is readily available on the Internet, bypassing prescriptions.

"You can buy HGH or buy steroids. You can get many thousands and thousands of (Internet) hits. And you can send away for vials of steroids or human growth hormone," said Linn Goldberg, professor of medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University.

"Whether they're in reality human growth hormone or steroids is questionable. Many of them are funky. (But) they're readily available â?¦ without a doctor's prescription."

He said HGH and steroids also can be sometimes found in unregulated, over-the-counter dietary supplements.

"It's a real kind of Russian roulette, crapshoot, as to what these kids are buying," Goldberg said.

Butkus, who starred with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973, represented "I Play Clean," an organization he founded to help youngsters avoid steroids and other banned performance-enhancing products such as HGH.

"First, I applaud the NFL and players for taking a bold and decisive position on HGH in their 10-year agreement. Now, let's get on with it," Butkus told the committee. "The HGH testing process is proven to be reliable. It's time to send a clear message that performance-enhancing drugs have no place in sports, especially the NFL."

Butkus added, "The well being of our nation's most active youth is riding on it, and they're paying attention to what happens in the NFL."

Butkus said the only performance enhancer of his playing era was having a big heart.

"We were pretty enhanced. The thing inside my chest, I think it was," he said.